Fourteen people were left homeless after a fire destroyed the two flats that housed them homes at Vuqele in Tavua on Friday.
The National Fire Authority says the two adjoining flats had 19 bedrooms combined.
It said the house was situated on a hilly place and the windy conditions at the time of the fire contributed to the fast spread of the fire.
According to the NFA, the Tavua Fire Station attended to the fire incident immediately after they were alerted of the fire at 7.43 am; and the two flats well involved in flames when the team arrived to the scene.
NFA chief executive officer Puamau Sowane acknowledged the assistance of the Vatukoula Gold Mine firefighters and nearby stakeholders who assisted with their fire tankers in supplying water to their fire machine that helped a lot in quickly extinguishing the fire.
“Fortunately, there were no casualties as people inside the house managed to escape to safety,” Mr Sowane said.
He said investigations had been completed and the probable cause of the fire was electrical related.
“Sadly, this fire has robbed the families of the comfort and security of their homes together with their belongings.
He has urged all members of the public to take extra heed of fire safety and prevention measures and ensure properties were fire-safe.
“We deeply sympathise with the families who have lost their belongings and we urge the public to learn from this sad experience. Together, we can prevent unnecessary fire destruction.”
